"Tall Trim the Tree"

Actually this pattern is the "a little bit shorter tall tree" pattern by Little Bits, it's 17"by 41". I have the patterns for the 3 small ones and the large one...but...we'll see. Still need to sandwich this wall hanging, quilt and bind. It could possibly get done by Christmas!

Ellen's Visit!

Here's a sneak peak!

Next Project!

I bought this Buggy Barn kit about a year ago, in an ambitious moment, not realizing exactly how complicated it was. Started cutting the 16 FQ on Friday, and assembled four of the 16 blocks today. That makes me 1/4 of the way FINISHED! We'll see about that...

I'm Back!

Hi blog, long time, no see!  Here's what I have accomplished lately:

I started this back in January, and it's been sitting in my sewing room as a sandwich, waiting to be
quilted. I finally tackled it earlier this month, binding and all.

I machine quilted along the major seams, mostly in the ditch, and machine finished the binding. Avoiding
hand work at all costs, :-)

This was from the "Kindergarten Quilting" class I took in the spring with Ellen and Jeannie.
It too, has been hanging on a hanger as a sandwich for 3-4 months. Used a repeating diamond
pattern, machine quilted and bound.

Ellen's visit!

My BFF Ellen came p for a visit last weekend, and brought her Bernina and her birding binoculars. We had a blast!  We made a wall hanging using the "Going in Circles" pattern on Gyleen Fitzgerald's website, colourfulstitchhes.com, and I taught Ellen to paper piece and she taught me how to make a zippered bag! Then we went birding along my street, yard, the lake at the state park across the street, and Taushers Pond - a marshy beaver pond area behind the park. And we polished off a few bottles of wine. And some ice cream.  Great weekend.  Here are a few photos:

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Long Arm Quilting Experience

Text to follow soon....

Kindergarten Quilting Class

I am taking this class with my two "new quilter" buddies, Ellen and Jeannie, at Hayes. I needed tohavemy quilt top assembled before our Thursday class, but I had a hard time deciding on the arrangement. One thing I do know - I don't like 4-patch blocks.

Done is Better Than Perfect

Well I finally finished the borders on my log cabin project, quilted it, and stitched the binding tonight. And I sewed the binding to my prairie star project, too. However...there is now a needle on the loose somewhere in my living room.

Stitching Fool

I worked on 3 WIPs today.  They are still WIPs, but I've made significant progress!  Binding sewn to my Prairie Woman's Sewing Circle star project; nearly completed my little mini quilt I started at the last retreat; and assembled 4 log cabin blocks as a table runner...instead of the 16 blocks needed for the PWSC wll hanging...just wasn't felling it. I hope to finish the bindings on them tomorrow at the "Beyond Janes" sewing day at the Lake House.  And, I even vacuumed the house today, too!
Update:  I stitched about 7 inches of binding in the 3 hours I spent at the Lake House, in between chatting, show and tell, lunch, and chatting with my wonderful quilting posse of new best friends.  I am one lucky girl!  And I learned a few terms: WIP - works in progress; PHD - projects half done; PIGS - projects in grocery sacks.  Love my quilting family!

Doodle Drawings - a sampling

Practice Free-Motion Quilting Version 2

Ok, I think I have the hang of the teardrop shapes, it's the triangles and boxes that
Throw me off!

What a Week!

What a productive week!  Monday I took a paper piecing class with my friend Jeannie, photo on my last post. Wednesday I spent the morning working on Log Cabin blocks for my Prairie Women's Sewing Circle projects with my friend Dori (photo). Thursday my friend Sylvia stopped by to give me some tips and tools on free motion machine quilting techniques (photo of my practice stitching). Saturday my friend Louise took me on a road trip with her and her friend Leona to Corning where we stopped and shopped for fabrics and notions at more than a few spots! And meanwhile at home I spent nearly all my time in my studio...sewing!
I finished hand sewing the binding on charity quilt my friend Susan prepared for me so I could practice quilting (photo). I pieced the backing for the two quilts I've been working on, my blue hourglass quilt and my patchwork paisley quilt. I feel SO ACCOMPLISHED!


Finished hand stitching the binding, finally!



My hour glass "tube quilt" finally has borders, backing and batting!
Next step - basting and quilting...



Practicing free motion quilting, will need a lot more practice!



I had such a hard time piecing these log cabin blocks by hand (read:  they looked like hell) so I
found a generic paper piecing pattern and sized it, drew in another row of strips all around, and
made copies.  Now my blocks are so nice and straight!



Here's my patchwork quilt from an earlier post.  I didn't have enough yellow fabric
for the backing so I inserted a strip of the paisley right thru the center.  I think
I'll piece the binding from scraps of all the fabrics...when I get that far...

My First Paper Pieced Block!

I took a paper piecing class Monday with my friend Jeannie, look what I made!!! Errr, look what I started but have not completed but in theory I could complete it but that will require perseverance and discipline...I know, right?

Another quilt top done!

In hindsight, not loving the fabrics I used...

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I still haven't put the borders on my last quilt project, I need to finish a few before I start any more new ones!

My First Attempt at Machine Quilting!

Thanks to Susan M., for providing the quilt sandwich, the instruction, and the encouragement!!!


You can just about see my wavy lines along the width of the quilt, with a corner turned to show the front fabric. 
It was fun!  Scary, but fun.  I cursed a few times...under my breath.  Just saying...

Double Hourglass Block Quilt -in progress!